Colin Kaepernick Keeps Working

Colin Kaepernick hardly took any time off before his offseason training.

He doesn’t believe in over-training, just proper rest in between workouts.

That explains why Colin Kaepernick hardly took any time off before his offseason training started up in Atlanta.

“I’m trying to improve everything, from throwing to the playbook to running,” the San Francisco 49ers quarterback said on Wednesday. “I’m trying to be the complete package.”

Kaepernick enters the 2013 season as a full-time starter for the first time in his NFL career. The third-year pro, however, has been a full-time worker during his time in San Francisco.

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound quarterback completed 62.4 of his passes for 1,814 yards in 2013. He also added 415 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns in the regular season.

Kaepernick took over starting duties midway through the season and blossomed in the postseason. He accounted for seven touchdowns (four passing and three rushing) in three postseason contests. Oh, and he led San Francisco to the franchise's sixth Super Bowl.

Laser-like throws and an innate ability to escape pocket pressure were hallmarks of Kaepernick’s game. He also showcased brilliant running ability out of San Francisco's "Pistol" offense, including 181 rushing yards in a NFC Divisional Playoff win over the Green Bay Packers. Kaepernick’s first postseason game saw the 49ers quarterback break the league’s single-game rushing record for a quarterback.

But even with all that experience under his belt, Kaepernick felt compelled to get back to work following a loss in Super Bowl XLVII.

Besides improving his all-around game, Kaepernick has focused on improving his speed by training with track athletes and with speedy teammates like A.J. Jenkins and Riccardo Lockette.

So is Kaepernick even faster heading into 2013?

“We’ll find out when we get on the field,” the 25-year-old quarterback said.

Kaepernick continues to seek out information on how to better utilize his athletic body. It didn’t hurt that he spent seven weeks training in Atlanta before returning to the Bay Area for voluntary offseason workouts.

“Anything you can do to get faster, any tips you can take, you want to do it,” he said.

Kaepernick made sure he was ready to go for the start of the team’s offseason strength program which began on Monday. In two weeks, he’ll be allowed to work with the 49ers coaching staff in phase two of the offseason program dubbed, “Football School.”

There, Kaepernick can continue to fine-tune the fundamentals he uses in Greg Roman’s offensive attack.

Those mechanics will be a point of emphasis according to General Manager Trent Baalke.

Baalke said he wanted Kaepernick to hone in techniques, footwork and lower-body mechanics.

“He’s doing an excellent job,” the 49ers General Manager also said of Kaepernick. “There’s no harder worker."

Kaepernick wasn’t alone in Atlanta, training with Jenkins and Lockette was a beneficial experience for everyone involved.

“We ran, we threw,” Kaepernick summed up. “We worked out to make sure we are a step ahead of the game.”

The 49ers quarterback continues to build relationships with all of his receivers. He hasn’t thrown with incoming wideout Anquan Boldin, but the two have spoken over the phone.

For now, Kaepernick feels good about the offseason bonds he’s strengthened with the team’s young wide receivers.

And for Lockette, Kaepernick is concentrated on keeping up with the 6-foot-2, 211-pound receiver.

“He’s one of the fastest guys on the team and I’ve been trying to keep up with him,” the 49ers quarterback said.

That’s saying something if the fleet-footed passer is making those comments.

Kaepernick knows all about the players he’s been training alongside, but he’s not going to lobby for future draft picks.

The 49ers quarterback is perfectly fine with Baalke and his staff making the calls.

“I’m going to leave that to the front office,” he said. “We’re going to work with the players that we have.”

Many of those players are coming off a loss in the Super Bowl. Kaepernick still feels the sting of the loss, but has since watched game tape and began the healing process of working towards a new challenge.

“Hopefully we’re in the same position next year and finish it the right way,” he said.